The Incredibles 2 Review

With Pixar films getting sequels left and right, it’s weird to see one of Pixar’s most popular films not get the same amount of love. Even Finding Nemo got a sequel before The Incredibles did. Now, after his recent stints in the live-action realm, Brad Bird is back doing animation and is back to do The Incredibles 2. But is The Incredibles 2 worth the 14-year wait or has the film fall under the same fate as other long-awaited sequels?

Fortunately (and thankfully), The Incredibles 2 lives up to the expectations of those who have been waiting for the sequel. Not only does the film match the quality of its predecessor but it may have surpassed it.

The Incredibles 2 follows the Parr family after the events of the first film. This time around, Helen Parr must leave her family in order to make superheroes legal again while Bob is left behind to take care of the family.

The Incredibles 2 is easily the most fun you’ll have in a theater this year. It isn’t like the original where the film primarily focuses on Mr. Incredible. No, this time around everyone in the film has their moment in the sun. As a result, the film expands upon the character development from the first film. Not to mention, this is the first time where the Parrs truly does feel like a family. It adds more depth to characters we already loved from the first film.

Not only is there a lot of hilarious moments in the film but there’s a lot of exciting moments in the film too. It looks like Brad Bird’s time directing live-action films has improved his ability to direct action sequences. Thus, there’s some creativity to The Incredibles 2’s action sequences. You get to see some things that you’ve probably never seen from an animated film.

But as good as the interactions have been, the story is really predictable. Right from the get-go, you can tell what’s going to happen in the film. If you’ve ever watched a movie before then it’s easy to see the answer to the film’s main mystery. In addition, the villain is a bit one-dimensional and bland. On the other hand, she is a dangerous threat to our heroes. The villain has plenty of skills that can take down the supers. So no one is safe.

As for the cast, they’ve come back to these characters like there was no break at all. Craig T. Nelson once again impresses as Mr. Incredible. He has a ton of memorable moments in the film. Seeing Mr. Incredible break down into a domesticated lifestyle is hilarious and heartfelt. Not to mention, Nelson breathes some new life and personality into Mr. Incredible. He’s a man that’s struggling and you can hear that struggle in his performance.

Sarah Vowell also breathes some life and personality to Violet Parr. Not only is she not emo anymore but she is much more relatable too. You relate to her performance because everyone has gone through this situation too.

Holly Hunter doesn’t really improve her performance. Although she doesn’t give much personality to her character, she does still keep the badass persona intact. Essentially it’s the same performance that she gave from the first film. Like Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t improve upon his performance either. Then again he doesn’t have a lot of screentime. He’s once again a supporting character.

As for the new cast, Bob Odenkirk puts on the charm as Winston Deavor. He isn’t providing anything new to this character though. He’s essentially playing Saul Goodman. Also, Catherine Keener gives a boisterous performance as Evelyn Deavor.

Overall, The Incredibles 2 is an incredibly entertaining film from beginning to end. The characters are much more interesting and are given more depth in the second installment. It’s amazing that after waiting 14 years for a sequel that it lived up to the hype. You won’t be disappointed.